Just how offended should I be, about now? I might need to go sulk for a while! If I was buying two hundred dollar orchids, I certainly wouldn't makin' my clothes outta an old table cloth... I'd, at least, be using the curtains! Sheesh! The nerve of some people! The only time I wore makeup was during the 80's, for New Wave concerts. Have you ever tried gettin' cow pies off stiletto's? Although...The whip is very useful!!;~) Whitecat, So these quotes apply? "I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best." Oscar Wilde Or "I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it." Mae West Not to sound like Mr B, but... Calvin, you're seriously Neo deprived! I love 'em! They're up there with Bulbos, Stans and Pleurothallid's in my gotta' have category! A whole bunch of my Neo's are putting out new growths and new roots. I know that, at least, one is in spike, but I haven't done a head count to make sure. I haven't comfirmed my new order yet, so I'm not sure what all I'll end up with!;~) I am eyeballin' 4 or 5 new ones. Currently, I have these! Neofinetia falcata'Awa Hari Beni' Neofinetia falcata ÂAyanishiki  Shades of Red- Neofinetia falcata ÂChousensetsuÂ- Neofinetia falcata ÂFu RanÂ- Neofinetia falcata ÂGojyo Fukurin Neofinetia falcata ÂHanagoromo (01/02) Neofinetia falcata 'Higashidemiyako' Neofinetia falcata ÂHisui Neofinetia falcata 'Kinroukaku' Neofinetia falcata'Kirinmaru' Neofinetia falcata'Ogonmaru' Neofinetia falcata 'Seiryujushi'(01/02) Neofinetia falcata'Shoujou' Neofinetia falcata ÂShu Ten NouÂ/ÂSyutenno Neofinetia falcata ÂSuruga Fukurin Neofinetia falcata 'Tamakongo' Neofinetia falcata ÂToyozakura A couple aren't doing well, but most of them have been great growers! I love them regardless, but when in bloom...! Wow! Mine grow pretty much all year. I try to follow their cycle of rest with coolness and growth with warmer conditions. I'm not always that good about it. So, I try to keep them very bright and keep an eye on them. An occasional cool drought has encourage new roots and seems to do no harm with mine. But, a lotta' light! Most of the current crop of bloom have opened. I'll see about some photos tomorrow! I wish I new how to Photo Shop things. I'd just fix 'em! ;~)

Jane I am laughing! I picture you beautiful house with the maze of cords and lights! Buy higher watt cfls for the lamps. Don't add more lamps. I actualy began taking away! It makes all the difference. H turned me on to this place for good bulbs (see link below). The colour of the bulbs are gorgeous! The site is a little tricky. 42w you will want a 5100k. You won't see that option until you click on the 42w for 7$. Click the 42w and then you will see the options. I think the 5100k are 14$ a piece. The 85 w is unbelievable. Its big but anything I had inside that was stalled popped right out! I can grow vanda types inside. No problem. I think they are about 26$. You can get away with a shorter run time with the more powerful lights. I know what you mean about tripping. Last winter I started 3 fires with extension cords and got a bruise the size of a grapefruit on my leg. I am happy to get rid of the balllast tubes. Kept on smashing my head on the edge! I looked like an orchid POW. You'll just have to hand out sunglasses at your door if you upgrade! I also had a visit by Chicago's Finest when I first moved in. I have an 85w in the window now. It keeps the burglars away. I grow little Dragon Trees I brought from FL. They look a lot like Cannabis when they are small. Have to keep them out of the ground floor window. Live next to a small restaurant that's packed with young YUPPIES on the w.e's. My lights are a cruel reality check after 6 beers and 4 shooters! Clara High on Orchids Bllomed under an 85W CFL Here is a link that might be useful: Great CFL's

Well, I resisted reading this thread as long as possible because my collection is supposed to be getting smaller. The current reframing - it's getting more refined. Like that? Not-so-clever rationalization for adding more plants BUT, they're different and almost all are lots smaller than previous ones. Blooming: - Bl. Richard Mueller, just purchased - Dendrobium ceraula (gonzalesii) - still blooming from 8/07, when it arrived - Dendrobium Mini-Snowflake (Den. aberrans x Den. johnsoniae), just purchased - Dendrobium moniliforme, Scented Moon - first moniliforme to rebloom under my care! - Doriopsisium Little Emma (Pixie Star 'Starry Night' x delicosa 'Tinkerbell'), blooming from purchase - Dtps. Kenneth Schubert 'Blue Angel' (Doritis pulcherrima x Phal. violacea), everblooming - Oncidium Twinkle 'White Cap' (Onc. cheirophorum x Onc. ornithorhynchum), 1st time reblooming under my care - Oncidium Twinkle 'Red Fantasy,' 1st reblooming under my care - Paph Estella (fairrieanum x godefroyae leucochilum 'Cabernet Splash'), 1st reblooming under my care - Sl. Marriottiana (flava) (L. flava 'Clone 1' x Soph. coccinea flavum), just purchased In spike/sheath/bud: - Aerangis fastuosa - 1st Ang. in spike for 1st time under my care! - Baptistonia echinata, just purchased - Brassavola nodosa, var. grandiflora, 1st time in spike under my care - Chiloschista pygmeas - in the middle of sequential blooming for the first time under my care - Dendrobium aberrans, 1st time under my care, after skipping the last time - Dendrobium atroviolaceum ('Pygmy' x sib.), 1st time under my care - Dendrobium Himezakura 'Sanokku' (Den. Oberon x Den. Cassiope), 1st time, etc. - Dinema polybulbon, just purchased - Dtps. Sogo Gotris (Phal. Be Tris x Dtps. Sogo Manager), 1st time, etc. - Dtps. Sogo Melinda 'Caribbean Sunset' (Dtps. Autumn Leaves x Phil. Sogo Lit-Angel) - Masdevallia Celtic Frost (Angel Frost 'Orange Parfait' HCC/AOS x glandulosa 'Nemo') - 1st & only Masde spiking for 1st time under my care! - Phal. Baldans Kaleidoscope, peloric, budding from original spike when purchased in early Sept. - Phal. Cameo, aka Phal. Windsong's Sonnet 'Pine Ridge Peloric' (Zuma Poem x equestris) - Phal. Center Stage 'Pine Ridge Cockleshell' AM/AOS - Phal. Guadalupe Pineda (amboinensis 'Pisang Ambon' x bellina 'Whitey'), 1st time, etc. - Phal. I-Hsin Salmon 'Joy No. 3' (Princess Midas X Kuntrarti Rarashati) - Phal. javanica (KF#1 X KF#2), 1st time, etc. - Phal. parishii, 1st time, 2 spikes - Phal. Penang Girl âChing Reuyâ (Phal. violacea x Phal. venosa), 1st time, and I've had this sucker since 6/05. Thrilling! - Phal. schilleriana-stuartiana (schilleriana (2N from the Phillippines) x stuartiana 'Miami Beach'), just purchased - Phal. Summer Beach (Ken Peterson x Mama Cass) - Phal. Tetra Bell (bellina 'Star of Borneo' x tetraspis 'Snow White') - Phal NOID, white - Phal NOID, yellow, 2 spikes - Polystachya piersii - Psychopsis Mendenhall 'Hildos' FCC/AOS (Butterfly x papilio) I didn't realize this many are spiking/blooming for the first time under my care. Exciting! Congrats to everyone - Whitecat8

Thanks, everyone!:~) Considering how great everything else turned out, I'm even more upset that I ruined the blooms. I'm pretty sure that there's a conspiracy, so keep an eye out! You never know, it could've been some of those terrorist squirrels !;~)